Today: Mar 29, 2024

New departments to move into the library

Abby EpsteinNews Writer

Two departments will become roommates next school year. The Academic Advising Center and Career and Professional Development are moving into the same space in the library.

“This is a new opportunity for us to think in ways of how can we both maximize and utilize space and then how can we be aware that sometimes these conversations are linked and collaborative,” said Director of Career and Development Kelvin E. Rutledge.

All of Career and Professional Development will be moving into the space being built on the first floor of the library.

“There are still plans to use all of this space. There are just different offices that will now occupy it,” said Rutledge.

The plan is to have First Year Experience faculty, Academic Success Center, and other staff members that have been floating around on the third floor to occupy the offices on the first floor.

The Academic Advising Department is planning on moving the Exploratory ACC branch into Buley Library. This will serve as the central place for major and career exploration.

“We are incredibly excited as this will allow us to provide a meaningful advising experience for students as they explore their options regarding a program of study,” said Director of Academic Advising Harry Twyman.

The office spaces currently under construction are causing some problems in the library.

“The biggest impact on the library is the noise right now and the foot traffic from in and out of the workspace because we do not have our stuff for storage,” said head of Access Services Jamie Aschenbach.

Aschenbach said they are waiting for the construction to finish in order to put up their bookcases and other furniture that has been ordered to help the library organize. Despite the delays and noise, she sees the departments move as a positive thing.

“I’m hoping there is more [foot traffic] because students deserve to have good advising and we are really doing it for the students, so I am hoping we increase the foot traffic,” said Aschenbach.

Construction is projected to be finished before the end of the spring semester allowing the departments to start moving in before next school year.

“When some of our staff move into Buley, we will be vacating our space in Wintergreen,” said Twyman. “This means that the main advising office will no longer reside in Wintergreen.”

Twyman said they will be sure to send out a campus-wide announcement with updates once the move happens.

Career and Professional Development are hoping to be able to move in by May 1 if construction goes as planned.

“Construction should be done in April and people should be moved in before the end of the semester,” said Aschenbach.

The Academic Advising Center and the Career and Professional Development department said they are excited to share the space together.

“Sometimes we have our first- and second-year students, some of their major exploration relates to career exploration versus some of our third and fourth year, some of their academic advising questions are really career dependent,” said Rutledge. “Being mindful of those conversations will allow us to be in proximity to each other.”

The university is looking to take advantage of as much space as they can. When the space in Buley was found, they saw it as a great opportunity and the Academic Advising Center liked the space, too.

“Buley is also a great space for this office,” said Twyman, “because it provides a more centralized and accessible resources for our students.”

Photo Credit: Jessica Guerrucci

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